One-stop shopping for wellness

Health-food supermarkets are nothing new. But a South African newcomer is expanding the notion well beyond food and vitamins—and even spa services—to include products that support virtually every aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Cape Town-based Wellness Warehouse, which launched last fall, aims to provide South African consumers with a total solution for healthy shopping. With three stores in Cape Town, Claremont and Blackheath, Wellness Warehouse offers not just the usual assortment of natural and healthy foods, organics and related products. Also at its stores are a natural medicine dispensary and pharmacy; spa services including facials, body treatments and packages; a cafe serving up sandwiches, salads, smoothies and more; and fitness machines for sale, along with sleep products such as mattresses, pillows and massagers. All Wellness Warehouse stores emphasize eco-friendly, organic, biodegradable and ethical products and services, with an experience that’s inviting, inspiring and informative. Targeting affluent, eco-minded consumers, Wellness Warehouse aims to provide one-stop shopping for everything a healthy lifestyle requires. Last year we wrote about a Dallas Whole Foods’ expansion into spa and concierge services, and this takes the concept another step further, embellishing even more on such stores’ experience-based retail. It may not be within the reach of every contender right now, but this could represent the next model for competition in the space. One to watch!